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February 04, 2011

Randy

Randy, age 4

Flat Rock, Michigan (1964)

I recently found this photo of me holding this glass ornament on my 4th Christmas. By my 6th Christmas, I knew that I was attracted to other boys in a "special" way. In fact, my first crush was in kindergarten! I was also very artistic and not very athletic. And so I created for myself a niche in the social fabric of my childhood: I was nice to everyone, accepted the role as class "Artist" like a haven, and suppressed my innate gay feelings with all my heart.

I was the peacemaker, the peace keeper, the intuitive kid that most of my classmates liked. I made my teachers and parents proud.
I spent my youth watching, and wondering, and waiting - and that's the me I see in this photo.

Today, I am an elementary school teacher, and since 1994 I've worked for a public school district that has the courage to allow me to be openly gay and a teacher.

Everyday, my experiences as a child informs my interactions with the students I teach. In spite of my openness, most people don't assume that I'm gay.

As for the students' parents, they appreciate my generosity, my caring, my pedagogical skills, and my sensitivity to their children's individuality. Each time that I make that connection with a parent, it's a precious epiphany

These are aspects of my abilities that I believe are a direct result of being born gay. And being born this way has been, for me, a gift. As a man, the little boy holding the fragile orb has discovered how truly wonderful his gayness is.

Randy's first, famous-person same sex crush:

Robert Conrad (in "Wild Wild West")

His pants were always tight like leotards!. And those crystal blue eyes...
We're talking major hard-on factory.

@ anonymous #1 - You got one thing right, I'm human. But thanks for the rest, that's very kind of you.@ anonymous #2 - The first 10 years of my career were spent teaching in central Kentucky. At the time the district had all of 6 schools and gay men and lesbians worked in 6 of them. It took me nearly 8 years to realize that for the majority of the good people of that place the content of a teacher's character far outweighed the content of their shared bed. It still didn't change the fact that if anyone started to "scare the horses" they were in trouble, but it did give me pause to wonder why I was so afraid during those years. I hope you are not alone where you work.

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